Ilia Topuria is the current UFC featherweight champion. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
While waiting for the opportunity to fight for the lightweight belt (up to 70,3 kg), Ilia Topuria doesn't seem worried about collecting enemies in the new division. After Charles of the Bronx criticize the Georgian/Spanish posture and calling him disrespectful, 'El Matador' did not back down and remained combative towards the Brazilian.
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At a press conference for The Way of The Warrior (WOW) 17 event last Saturday (29), Topuria was asked about Charles of the Bronx. Without hesitation, he denied having been disrespectful and questioned the level of competitiveness of the lightweight division (up to 70,3 kg) compared to the featherweight division (up to 65,7 kg), in addition to citing the Brazilian's record.
“I didn’t disrespect him. I told him the truth. He has ten losses, I didn’t say anything else. He has ten losses: five by knockout, four by submission and one by decision. When he was fighting in the 65,7 kg category, even Cub swanson He beat him. The conversation has to end there. Something he couldn’t do at 145 pounds, he did at 155, where he became world champion. So why is this division harder than the one I come from? I don’t see any logic in that, that’s why I also said that it’s like he’s never read a page of newspaper. So if that’s disrespectful… I don’t know since when telling the truth has been disrespectful,” he said.
Ilia Topuria responds to Charles Oliveira calling his comments 'disrespectful':
"I haven't said [Charles], I've told the truth. He has 10 losses...
He says [lightweight] is the toughest division there is. When he was fighting at 145, Cub swanson beat him up.”
... pic.twitter.com/5tTvpuWTIQ
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 30, 2025
Charles competed in the lightweight category between 2012 and 2016. After having trouble making weight on several occasions, the São Paulo native made the definitive transition to the lightweight category (up to 70,3 kg) in 2017. Since then, he has built one of the best resumes in the history of the sport.
Topuria is still the featherweight champion
Despite announcing his retirement from the featherweight division (up to 65,7 kg), Topuria is still officially the champion of the category. The Georgian/Spanish fighter will “lose” the title after the start of the fight between Diego lopes e Alexander Volkanovsky, who face each other in the main fight of the UFC 314.
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